Curling-iron



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTEMAS RUSH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURLlNG-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,487, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed July 23, 1894. Serial No. 518,337. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTEMAS RUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Curling-Irons, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in curling-irons, and its object is to produce a construction which will be most eflicient in use.

The invention consists substantially in the construction hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

My said invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an apparatus embracing my improvement in its construction; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same made as indicated by the broken line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, avertical cross-section taken as indicated by the broken line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4: a detail view of certain parts.

In the drawings, A indicates the rod, a the jaw, having its rear portion b bent up at an angle to its body and pivoted upon the rod by the pin a passing through the rod, the turned-up portion Z) of the jaw being connected with the sliding ring d by the link 0, so that when the ring is moved forward the jaw will close down on the rod, but when moved backward it will be raised up, so that the hair to be curled can be placed under it on the rod.

An improvement of importance which can be used with any curling-iron having a hinged clasp will now be described. The clasp, when a lock of hair is tightly curled around it, is found difficult to be withdrawn quickly, and it is the purpose of the present improvement now in question to avoid this difficulty. To this end the clasp should be so constructed as not to clasp the iron or mandrel as tightly at its rear end as at its forward end, so that in its normal position with the coil of hair surrounding it the clasp and iron together will form a core with a cross-section increasing slightly in diameter from the outer to the inner or pivoted end, and there will be a certain amount of space between the iron and the inner end surface of the clasp adjacent to its inner end, so that the clasp may, when desired, be forced closer to the iron and thereby correspondingly decrease the cross-section of the tool, whereby the implement being thus made smaller may be readily withdrawn from the coil of hair. An advantageous way of adapting the clasp to be thus brought closer to or farther away from the iron or mandrel toward the inner end of such clasp is shown the upper ends of the slots a contact with I the pivot a and consequently said clasp will fit closer to the mandrel or iron, and correspondingly decrease the diameter of the im= plement adjacent to the point of the pivot and for some little distance toward the outer end of the implement, so that thus being decreased in size said implement may be readily withdrawn. After this decrease in size of course the clasp will rock upon its pivot, if the pressure or pull upon the shorter end of the clasp is continued. In brief, according to the preferred form of construction, which is illustrated in the drawings, the clasp is of tapered form-that is, its groove grows deeper as it extends toward the pivot, and inclined slots are provided in which the pivot plays, permitting either a rocking movement of the clasp about such pivot or a sliding movement down toward such pivot. It is often, however, found not necessary to rock the clasp about its pivot at all, because the very act of sliding the clasp toward the pivot will frequently release the hair.

The ring d is adapted to move back and forth on the rod A, its back movement being limited by the forward end of the upper part 13 of the handle, while the spring a is seated on the rear end of the rod, with one end seated against a pin in the rod, while the other end abuts against a flange projecting from the sliding frame D, and, preferably, encircling the rod, whereby the frame I) is mounted upon the rod and adapted to slide freely upon it, and has its forward end connected with the ring (I, as shown in Fig. 2, the result of which construction is that the spring a pushes the frame forward with a certain amount of force and holds the jaw a down on the rod, and to raise the rod the ring is drawn back against the tension of the spring by the operator by pulling the frame back by taking hold of the flange or thumb-piece D. I prefer to connect a handle for manipulating the clasp in the manner shown in Fig. 2 of the drawingsthat is, to swivel the same to the collar or sleeve which operates said clasp, so that said collar or sleeve may revolve with the mandrel and yet not cause its operating-handle to revolve with it. The two parts of the handle B and C are held asunder by the spring J, having two arms or branches seated, as shown, one on each side of the red A. Under the upper part B of the handle is fastened the standard B, and through its lower end the red A is extended and has its bearings, and upon it is the pinion E made fast, so as to turn with the rod only. New in order to operate the pinion and revolve the rod the post 0 is provided, having its lower end firmly fastened to the lower part C of the handle, while its upper end embraces the rear end of the rod A, and connected with this post are the peculiar devices by means of which the rod is made to revolve either to the right or left, as before stated.

Adapted to turn and work in the lower part of post 0 is the shaft G, with its turned-up handle for the convenience of the operator, and upon that shaft is mounted the cam II, which is adapted to operate and raise either one of the upright rack-bars F F and throw them into gear or out of gear with the pinion E, and in order that they may be properly guided in their vertical movements they are provided at their upper and lower ends with headed pins e, which move in and are guided by the slots f in the post, which extend at an inclination to a vertical line, in order that the rack-bars maybe moved away from the pinion by the action of the cam, and are parallel with each other in each rack-bar. The result of this construction and arrangement of the parts is that by operating the shaft G the points of the cam will raise one rack-bar while depressing the other and throw one rack into gear with the pinion and the other out when and as desired. The two racks are connected at their lower ends by the wire spring I, coiled upon the shaft G, with one coil extending in each direction over the head of a pin on a rack, so that the tendencyof this spring is to normally hold down the racks, which tendency may be overcome 011 either side by projecting upward that side of the cam or rack lever or other manipulating device.

In Fig. 3 the form of the cam II. is shown mounted upon the shaft G, and its position shown with its point on the right under the foot of the rack on that side where it has been raised until out of gear with the pinion E, while the rack on the left is down and in gear with the pinion. The whole of the spring I is coiled upon the shaft, and not visible in that figure, except an end view of the coil and a side view of the two ends fastened respectively to the pins f on the two rackbars and passing under the shaft G.

It is obvious that many variations may be made in the details of construction described without departing from the principle of the invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction shown and described; but

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is- 1. In a hair-curling implement, the combination with a mandrel, of a clasp having a portion of its under surface normally in contact with the mandrel, and another portion of such surface normally out of contact with the mandrel, and means for forcing the last-mentioned portion of said surface toward the mandrel when it is desired to withdraw the implement from the hair; as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a hair curling implement, the combination with a mandrel, of a clasp pivoted thereto, the under surface of which is normally partly in and partly out of contact with the mandrel, and means for shifting the pivotal point or axis upon which said clasp turns, whereby the size of the implement may be decreased to permit it to be readily withdrawn. from the coil of hair; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a hair curling implement, the combination with a mandrel, a clasp tapering in an upward direction toward its pivot, whereby a portion of its under surface is normally out of contact with the mandrel, a pivot joining the clasp to the mandrel, inclined slots in the clasp serving as ways or guides, and means for forcing the clasp toward the man drel; substantially as set forth.

I. In a hair curling implement, the combination with a mandrel, of a clasp pivoted thereto, a collar surrounding the mandrel and joined to the rear end of the clasp, a handle in which the collar is swiveled so as to permit the latter to rotate independently of such handle, and means for rotating said mandrel and collar; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a hair curling implement, the combination with the mandrel, having secured thereto near its rear end a gear, a two-part handle, one of the members of which is movbars, and tending to restore them to their able, a yoke carried by said handle and havlowest position; substantially as and for the 10 ing secured thereto two rack bars for respectpurpose set forth. ively engaging opposite sides of the gear,

5 elongated slots formed in the yoke and adapted to pins projecting from the rack bars, WVitnesses: a rocking arm or can], adapted to lift either HOWARD B. STOUT, rack bar and springs bearing upon the rack S. E. MCKEE.

ARTEMAS RUSH. 

